Factory workers in Ayutthaya, one of Thailand's major industrial zones, face exhaustion from long work weeks and need accessible spaces to rest and find joy nearby. CJ MORE recently continued its role as a "community hub" by holding the fifth Golden Mic On Tour festival at its Narativet City Park branch on Saturday, July 18, 2025. The event blended entertainment and shopping with a singing competition, free concerts from famous artists, and discounted quality goods aimed specifically at factory workers and families in the industrial estate.

The venue was bustling from morning as crowds arrived to participate in activities and shop. The plaza became a gathering point for the community before the main singing competition stage opened, giving contestants a chance to showcase their talent and pursue their dreams amid cheers and encouragement from spectators throughout the day.

The event's key highlight was offering factory workers the chance to "shine" and fulfill their singing dreams through a country music competition to find representatives for the seventh season of "Golden Mic Three Generations" on Workpoint 23 via fast-track entry. Many young factory workers who harbor musical dreams but must set them aside for work and family obligations found new hope.

One contestant was 38-year-old Kachanipa Pinichkij (Nuch) from Uthai Thani, a factory worker returning to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a singer. She explained that her work usually leaves no time for rest or reflection on her singing dreams. After learning about CJ MORE's singing competition through television, she was inspired to return to her dreams. With the national-level event held near her residence, she could easily travel there and trade her factory uniform for a microphone after work, creating a meaningful opportunity to find happiness and renewed motivation. She advanced to the final ten and chose to perform "Kiss and Say Goodbye," a song she had used successfully in past competitions.

Beyond entertainment, CJ MORE also partnered with leading brands to offer special promotional merchandise deals.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul chaired the Anti-Corruption Coordination Committee meeting on July 23, 2025, at Government House's Phakdi Bodindorn Building, with Deputy Interior Minister Paradon Pariyannantakul, Deputy Minister for Digital Economy and Society Nann Bunyathida Somchai, and committee members in attendance.

Anutin opened the meeting by saying Thailand has gained international trust and confidence, and that reform goes beyond preventing corruption to embracing the rule of law, transparency, accountability, and verifiability. He acknowledged that while the system has gaps, these represent a starting point for reform rather than failure. The government's goal is not merely to improve rankings based on public perception but to rely on solid evidence and documentation. He noted that asking opponents claims the government is corrupt while supporters claim it is not yields no substance, so Thailand must base anti-corruption efforts on verifiable references and evidence.

Anutin added that public sentiment both domestically and internationally about corruption has declined, damaging the nation's reputation. The government must strengthen prevention and prosecution efforts strictly. Thailand has declared war on all forms of corruption, drug trafficking, scams, human trafficking, and money laundering, with authorities seizing 40 billion baht in assets from law violators under this administration.

The Anti-Money Laundering Committee reported significant asset seizures, with the National Anti-Corruption Commission, State Audit Commission, Ombudsman, and Public Sector Anti-Corruption Committee all conducting investigations. Anutin explained that various agencies—including the NACC, AMLC, and police—are already investigating local civil service exam fraud, contrary to claims that internal investigations would be like having the defendant judge themselves. Deputy PM Pakorn Nilpraband leads an appointed committee coordinating agencies to maximize enforcement efficiency, with multiple agencies now effectively competing to tackle corruption.

Anutin expressed confidence that no one can escape accountability given the parallel institutional oversight demonstrating clear government intent to build credible systems. The AACC seeks cooperation as a linking mechanism between government, private sector, civil society, and academia to work on unified data and goals, while pushing legal reforms, technology application to reduce discretion, and transparency.

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Chulalongkorn University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Thailand Cement Manufacturers Association (TCMA) to promote pilot-scale carbon capture innovation and accelerate T...

On July 23, 2025, at 10:20 a.m. at Government House, Pol. Lt. Gen. Yutthana Phraidamm, director of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), briefed reporters on progress in investigating fraud related to local civil service exams. He explained that DSI is investigating cases where people have been deceived and defrauded, but the agency's involvement does not extend to cases involving officials with direct examination responsibilities or government officials who may have misled exam takers by falsely claiming to offer assistance.

When asked about the NACC's coordination with DSI, Yutthana said the agency had sent officers to participate in questioning and investigation, representing DSI's cooperative effort, while authority over the case rests with NACC. DSI has initiated its own investigation into cases where victims were misled and lost money. When asked how many complaints have been filed, the DSI director said the number is still low. He noted that the agency must compile and submit findings to NACC, though final figures have not been tallied yet because victims may be aware that authority currently lies with the Central Investigation Police and NACC. DSI will coordinate reports and cooperate with relevant agencies, but this is not classified as a special case because it does not fall directly under the agency's jurisdiction.

When asked how to distinguish between intentional fraud and being deceived, the DSI director said investigators must trace the source and examine those with direct examination responsibilities. If someone without examination duties deceives test takers by falsely promising help, without knowing the perpetrator personally, that constitutes fraud.

On July 23, Deputy Prime Minister and Higher Education Minister Yuthasak Sasangkosol visited Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) in Seoul, South Korea, along with senior officials to discuss cooperation on medical AI and quantum cybersecurity. The delegation explored two major initiatives: SNUH.AI, an integrated AI platform using specialized medical language models to assist healthcare workers and improve patient care through seamless hospital data integration, and SNUH Polaris, a precision medicine project using genomic technology to customize treatment based on individual patient characteristics.

Yuthasak emphasized that the partnership represents a win-win situation, as South Korea possesses disease databases that Thai hospitals lack, while Thailand has extensive tropical disease data—dengue fever, malaria, and tuberculosis—that Korea needs. He noted that Thailand's Ministry of Public Health and the science ministry are developing a similar system domestically, with the first results expected by year-end. The collaboration will allow Thailand to accelerate its medical AI development by learning from Korea's experience rather than starting from scratch, ultimately ensuring that advanced medical technology reaches the Thai public effectively.